The present invention relates to light sources, and more particularly to those which produce electro-magnetic energy in the visible range for the purpose of illuminating any element in any field, be it industrial, commercial, advertising, domestic, etc.
There are in existence currently numerous light sources producing an energy in the form of an electro-magnetic radiation in the visible range. These sources essentially comprise a closed chamber, generally containing a rare gas such as argon, neon, krypton, etc., or a mixture of these gases, this chamber comprising, within it, electrodes of varying degrees of complexity which pass through its wall towards the exterior via sealed passages. These electrodes are themselves connected to the output terminals of an electronic circuit for generating a supply electric current, this circuit being capable of being supplied from various energy sources. These sources are those supplying an alternating current which may be rectified, or indeed batteries, accumulators or the like supplying direct current directly.
The electronic circuits known at the present time are fairly complex, since they generally necessitate, being based on alternating current, a certain number of sub-assemblies which are, generally, transformers, rectifiers, oscillatory circuits, as well as associated peripheral circuits permitting the supply of electrical pulses for initiating a discharge between the two electrodes situated within the chamber and thus the production, by various phenomena which are known per se, of an emission of electromagnetic waves.
In fact, it is found that the light sources which have been developed up to the present time give relatively good results. However, in spite of all this, they require electronic supply circuits which are very complex, heavy and burdensome and which, furthermore, on account of their design, give rise to a relatively short service life of the chambers. It even happens that these light sources, on account of certain failures of components which participate in their construction, are unable to produce their emission of electromagnetic waves any longer.